A/N:
I know, I know. . . it took me -Forever- to write this chap. Basically because I've been super super mega lazy lately. *Yawn* just the other day I woke up at 1:00pm and didn't feel like doing any thing else the rest of the day. . . so yeah. I hope you guys liked the last chapter. Yurai. . .I drew a pic of him. . .He turned out really good ^__^ It was kind of difficult to describe him. With his out-fit and all. He's fun to draw as Chibber =P It looks like the weather here is starting to clear up and I can finally spray paint my bow & arrows for my costume props. Yay! *Flings arrow at brother* heh. . . heh. Well, I'll try to make this chap good! *works really hard* . I know the last one was kind of, slow. But now that you know the plot. . . things will start to get underway! It kind of took me a while to find the plot. . .the whole revenge thing is kinda cliché, I know. But it just came together to be that way *shrugs* . Well, hope this chapter gets your spirits, and mine, up! Enjoy! You probably don't need this but if you still do- "*" are used for thoughts like *I wonder if we have any doughnuts left. . .* and "-" are used for italics such as -stupid-, -annoying- brother. . .

Protecting Rin Part IV

The unknown Youkai looked at the girl and began to speak in a smooth and deep voice, "You shouldn't question beings that are stronger than yourself, child, especially Youkai, but I will answer your questions. My name is Yurai, and yes, I am a Youkai. And in answer to your former question, no I do not know Sesshoumaru personally but yes, I do know of him." * -Yes-, Lord of the western plains, the Youkai that had slain all of my kin, excluding myself, my younger brother and Sen, fifty years ago. . . and now, working with Master Sen, I can finally have my chance to avenge the death of our family.*

"I have a message from your Sesshoumaru-sama. He has asked me to tell you to come with me so you can go to him" Yurai said in a sly voice. "Really? I can go see Sesshoumaru-sama. . .?" asked Rin sweetly so he wouldn't change his mind. "Yes, of course" answered Yurai. He continued, "You just have to follow me and you will be able to see him very soon. . .". Not knowing that he was lying to her Rin screamed "Yay!" and ran up to Yurai; hugging him as hard as she could. Being a little caught off guard by this sudden out-burst of emotion Yurai just stood there and waited for Rin to let go of him. Realizing what she had done, Rin let go as fast as she could and quickly apologized "Ano. . . gomen nasai Yurai-sama!". *Yurai-sama? Where'd she get that from. . .? * after pausing a moment, Yurai regained his "composure" and spoke "It's fine, just don't do it again. . . unless you have permission to". Rin gave her usual "Hai!" and clung onto Yurai's kimono sleeve. He peered down at her and was curious to how this human child wasn't afraid of him. *Its probably because she has a Youkai for a master*. He chuckled to himself and started to walk away from the camp site making sure that the toad Youkai wasn't aware of them leaving.

Sesshoumaru was on his way back to the camp when he caught wind of a familiar scent but couldn't place where it had come from. He decided it wasn't important and continued walking until he saw the familiar light of the fire Rin usually built every time they would stop to rest. Rin's fragrance was weak, he could barely sniff it out. *This is odd. . . *looking over he spotted Jaken. *Jaken is still here, so where is Rin. She was here earlier. . .* He looked around but couldn't find a trace of her. He decided to poke Jaken with his foot and ask him where Rin had run off to.

Jaken groggily awoke from his slumber to see his master peering down at him. The toad quickly got up from his comfy spot next to Ah and Un to speak to Sesshoumaru properly. "Oh! Master Sesshoumaru! I didn't know you were back!". "Where is Rin? Jaken." asked Sesshoumaru, actually sounding like he didn't care in the slightest. "Ano. . . I thought she was around here. . ." then Jaken fully saw his master's condition. "Master Sesshoumaru! What has happened! Your clothes have been torn to pieces! And your all wet!". "Just a stupid Youkai who didn't know his place" was all Sesshoumaru said before he asked again "Now, where is Rin. . .?". "I don't know m'lord. Last time I saw the human she was over there picking flowers again. . ." then he mumbled something about stupid children and was successfully kicked by Sesshoumaru and hit a near- by tree. Sesshoumaru, not showing any signs of worry (even though he actually was, a little), walked to the place where Jaken said he had last seen Rin. After Jaken had "recuperated" he returned to his masters side rubbing his head again.

Sesshoumaru sniffed the air, yes, Rin's scent was strongest out of the weak spots here. Looking around he spied a bundle of flowers and a half made ring. He knelt down and picked it up. Then, he smelled that familiar scent again, realizing that this smell was more of a problem then he first have thought. He crushed the small flowers in his hand and stood up. "Jaken, I thought I could trust you to watch Rin while I was gone. . .apparently not." Sesshoumaru stated in a cold slightly agitated tone. "Ano. . ." was all Jaken could mumble before he was picked up from the top of his head and -once again- flung into an unsuspecting tree with a loud *thump*; followed by the sound of falling leaves. Sesshoumaru searched the ground for any sign of a tussle, but was unsuccessful. *She went willfully. . .? no, she was probably tricked into going with. . .* ; he couldn't think of a name to put to the scent.

The smell brought back something from long ago, and deep within his memory. He closed his eyes and sniffed the air again trying to get a better idea on who it was. He could see, in his memory, a small village type-place. It wasn't very big at all, it looked to only house about fifteen families at the most. There was a piece of a wooden sign at the entrance to this place. . . with a house emblem. He had been out "hunting" with his clan that day. He remembered his father saying something about. . . "protecting their territory" and that they had to get rid of this -little- problem. He could smell it, that oh so familiar scent with a name at the tip of his tongue. - The Sakura Hyo clan-/Cherry Blossom Panther Clan ( I know, I know. . . fruity name, bare with me!).

Sesshoumaru's eyes flashed open when he remembered what had happened that day. *I thought that clan had all been destroyed. . . but somehow some of them survived. "Lord Sesshoumaru? Is something the matter?" asked his faithful servant. After thinking about it for a few moments, he came to the conclusion that he actually -cared- enough for the girl that he would go after her. "Jaken. I will be taking a short trip. You are to wait for me here, I will be gone around three days.". "Ano. . .Hai m'lord! . . . would this by any chance have to do with the young mortal child?" Jaken just got a frosty glance from Sesshoumaru plainly stating; ask-again-and-die. He started walking away and Jaken just heaved a sigh and returned to his spot next to Ah and Un.

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*It's amazing how this child has not complained once all night while we walk*. Thought Yurai as he took a quick look to see how the human was holding up. She noticed that he was looking at her and she pulled her head up and gave him one of her "classic" smiles that could melt the coldest icicle. Yurai found himself smiling back at the girl, but quickly looked away not liking the way she was being so "friendly". "Yurai-sama. . .? Where are we going? Is it going to take long?" Rin asked innocently. "We are going south. It will take us approximately two day to arrive there if we keep up our pace." Replied Yurai. "Two days! With out resting? Sesshoumaru-sama wasn't so mean. . ." whimpered Rin. *Oh, right, humans need to rest. . .* remembered Yurai. "Well, if we rest, it will take longer to get there. . ." he stated and looked down at Rin who had her -sad- eyes on full blast. He didn't quiet care for the feeling he got in his gut the longer he looked at her. So, he gave in to her -human- needs and spoke "all right, we'll stop. . .in a little while. For now, we have to keep on moving a little farther. You want to see your Sesshoumaru-sama, do you not?" Rin nodded and moved over and clung to his kimono sleeve again. Yurai just sighed and thought it wouldn't hurt if she held on. Besides it was dark and she would be able to keep up better if she knew where she was going, or that was his explanation to himself.

After about an hour he could tell that Rin was getting tired and thought that they were far enough away from her little camp that they wouldn't be found. "All right Rin, we will stop here." Since they left in the evening and had been walking for about four hours it was very much dark. "Ano. . . Yurai-sama. Rin can't see." Remembering that humans can't -see- in the dark like Youkai he thought of what to do. "Rin, you feel this tree. . .?" He grabbed the girls wrists and put her hand lightly on the trunk of the tree he was telling her about. "Hai!" was her answer. "Rin. You will sleep here. At the trunk of this tree, and not move from here." She put both her hands on the trees trunk looked to where she thought Yurai was and said "Hai! Yurai-sama!". She turned around and sat down. Yurai saw this as finished business and walked to another tree to "rest" and wait for the child.

A few hours had passed and Yurai awoke to a light tug on his hair. Ready to strike at the being next to him he stopped when he remembered it was the girl. "Rin, I thought I told you to stay by the tree. . .". "You did Yurai-sama, but Rin had a nightmare and got scared. Can Rin sleep with you. . .?". Yurai was slightly shocked by this humans request. With his Youkai eye-sight he could see that the girl was frightened, he could sense it too. Giving an inward sigh of defeat, he put his hand on the girls head and tousled her hair, which was enough of a yes for her. To his surprise she climbed up under his arm and held onto his side. *She is a strange human, this one*.

At the slightest sign of the dawn, Yurai was awake and felt the bit of warmth by his side and recalled letting the girl sleep next to him, for god knows why. He noticed that she had fallen over slightly, into his lap, and placed his hands under her head to remove her so he could get up. Placing her on the grass Yurai navigated, using his Youkai senses, the quickest way to the south. Breathing in the air he caught the disturbing scent of, The Youkai Lord. And it was near. *We've been followed. . . * Calculating how far off Sesshoumaru was, *about fifteen miles, give or take*, he decided to wake Rin up and start moving.

Walking over to the sleeping girl he wondered how to wake her up, he never had to wake up a human before; only kill them. He decided to poke here cheek, after a couple times she kept on sleeping. Some how, she felt safe enough around him to fall into a deep sleep. Yurai closed his eyes and considered his only option, which he thought was slightly degrading. He picked the child up and cradled her in his left arm, sighed, and started walking. *Why shouldn't I just kill her now. It would make it easier to get to the South. Besides, Sesshoumaru probably would never know that she was gone. He'd probably think we would still have her*. Some how, at the thought of killing the light bundle in his arms, gave him an unwanted feeling. *How could The Great Lord of the Western Lands get attached to a mortal child. . .? * He scoffed at his inner remark. Then looked at Rin. He decided not to think of that question ever again.

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He was getting closer to Rin's captor. He could tell. Sesshoumaru took in the air again, finding Rin's scent. He had been -searching- for her moderately slowly. He knew that they wouldn't harm his Rin if they valued their lives. He decided he would kill them any way, for even taking his possession. *Didn't they learn anything when my clan decimated theirs?* He was thinking that when he came to a spot that smelled strongly of Rin's fragrance. He also detected the scent of the Hyo-youkai close to Rin's, a little -too- close. This for some reason made Sesshoumaru angry. He decided that the Youkai was keeping a close eye on the child and pinned/chained her close by. That thought made Sesshoumaru even more infuriated; the thought that some one would chain -his- Rin to a tree like some animal! His eyes narrowed as he thought it best to follow closer to this Hyo-youkai, in case he tried to do something like this again. But, he didn't want to get too close. He wanted this Youkai to lead him to Master Sen, so he could deal with this -man, Youkai- ,or what ever he was, personally.

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It had been nearly an hour before Rin started to stir. Yurai noticed the sudden movement in his arms and looked down to see Rin smiling up at him. He knelt down and placed her on the ground. "Come on, follow me" said Yurai and started walking. Rin responded with "Hai!" and ran up next to him, grabbing his sleeve. *How can she be so happy so early in the morning. . .?* "Next time we stop, Rin will make you a ring!" Rin said happily. A ring? Yurai was confused about what the girl meant. He shrugged it off and thought it wasn't really important.

The rest of the day Rin seemed to be moderately content and stayed close to Yurai. *If we head along this path for another hour we should be almost at the lake, near the boundaries of the South*. Yurai was brought from his thought on directions when he heard a distinct "grumbling" noise coming from his right. And who was at his right? None other than Rin. "Is something the matter Rin. . .?" he asked cautiously, trying not to sound concerned; he was a Youkai after all. Rin turned her head up to look at the tall Youkai she was next to. "Ano. . . Rin is just hungry. Rin hasn't eaten all day." Yurai practically smacked himself for forgetting that humans had to have three meals a day, and that even younger humans eat even more. Yurai remembered that right before he left to go in search of the girl, he had packed a small snack; just in case he got hungry.

Sliding his hand under his sash he found the small parcel tied there. Removing it he brought it in front of him and untied it. Handing this to Rin he said "Here. Eat". Rin took the package obligingly and looked at it. She saw a piece of raw meat, that to her, didn't look very appealing.

Yurai was wondering why she wasn't eating it and decided to ask "Is something wrong?". Rin looked up at him and smiled "It's not cooked. Rin can't eat this". Cooked? Yurai never had to -cook- his meals before, unless he wanted to. "All right, we'll stop here long enough for you to -cook- your food. Then we leave" Yurai pronounced. Rin nodded her head and shoved the package back into Yurai's hands. Before he could ask what she was doing, she ran off into the forest to look for wood.

Yurai had decided to settle down next to a shady tree. *I wonder what Master Sen will do with the girl once I bring her back. She is still child, and can't do much. He wouldn't keep her. . .would he?* Hearing the faint sound of padding feet Yurai looked up to see Rin with an arm full of wood. She dumped the wood on the ground and started to clear an area for the fire. Yurai looked on in fascination. He watched as she used two stones and a piece of moss to start sparks. She then put a leaf next to the moss and it too began to catch flame. Moving this small flame to the wood she placed it underneath it. Adding a little more moss, and the fire was soon ablaze.

*Interesting. . .* Yurai watched as the young girl, sharpened the end of a long stick and set it aside. She walked up to Yurai and asked "Yurai-sama, can Rin have the package now?". Yurai nodded his head and dug out his parcel and handed it to her. She took it and walked over to her stick and shoved the meat onto the pointed end. She carefully sat next to the flames and help the stick out over it to cook. After a few minutes the meat started to brown on one side and Rin flipped it over to the other. Just as she flipped it a spark from the flame rose up and hit her hand making her scream. Yurai was up and over to Rin in a flash, he didn't know why though. "Are you all right. . .?" he asked and bent over next to her. Her head was bowed and she was sniffing a little. She looked up, her eyes slightly watery, wanting to cry but resisting. "Rin is OK. Rin just got burnt. . .". Yurai took her wrist and turned it over in his hand and saw the small burn mark that marred her skin. "You have to be more careful Rin. . ." said Yurai as he reached for his canteen, which was at his side. He pored the water over her burn to help it.

*Why am I helping her. . .it's not like she matters. She's just a child, they need to learn to be tough. . .* "Are you all right now?". Rin gave a noisy sniff and turned her head up at Yurai flashing a huge smile. "Arigato Yurai-sama!" she said and lunged at him. Rin gave him a hug and he sat there, on the ground. *Look at me! If any Youkai saw this. . . I'd never hear the end of it! * Patting her back Yurai pushed Rin slowly off him. He stood up and dusted himself off, trying to look composed. "Remember what I told you about doing that Rin. . .?" Yurai asked. After a short pause Rin remembered and apologized "Gomen Yurai-sama! Rin is very sorry!". "It's fine. Just don't forget next time. . ." Said Yurai before he continued "Now, eat your food and then we need to leave". "Hai!" said Rin, glad that Yurai wasn't angry with her.

Yurai poured some of the water he had in his canteen onto the smoldering fire to extinguish it's flames. Looking at Rin as she happily ate the food he provided for her, he decided it was time to go. "Rin, finish up. It's time we leave" Yurai said to the little girl. She smiled at him, nodded and decided to ask him something. "Ano. . .Yurai-sama, Rin is thirsty. May Rin have some of your water, please?". He looked at her, wondering how humans survived with the demands of their frail bodies. He put his hand on her head and ruffled her hair and handed her the canteen. "You can drink some on the way." He stated and started walking with Rin at his side. He was curious as to how she could be so loyal to some one she didn't even know anything about. All she knew was that he was supposedly bringing her to her Sesshoumaru-sama. Now that he thought about, he felt kind of bad for having to lie to the small girl. *Where would she go if Sesshoumaru did get defeated by Master Sen?* He peered down at her and noticed she abandoned the canteen and was holding it in her left hand while grasping his sleeve with her right. She, somehow, reminded him of a younger sibling, like a sister. He knew this was nonsense, you can't get attached to someone in less than three days, its impossible! Maybe she would be frightened of him after she found out what he had done. He didn't want her to be scared of him.

After thinking about all the nice things Yurai had done for her, she remembered that she forgot to make him the ring. "Yurai-sama! Rin didn't get to make a ring for you!" Rin stated as she looked up at him. "It's fine, you can make one the next time we stop." Rin gave her usual answer and smiled.

*With us being so close to the destination and Sesshoumaru following right behind, what will happen to Rin? *Yurai looked forward. He decided that he would look after her, besides *she probably has no one else to go to*.

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Words:

"Youkai" - Full Demon

"Hai" - Yes

"Ano" - Um/Uh/Er/etc.

"-Sama" - Formal way when speaking to someone

"Gomen" - Sorry (Gomen Nasai- I'm so sorry)

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A/N: Woah. . . I didn't notice it but it looks like I went 1000 words over my usual. Strange considering that I usually do 8 pages and this one was only 7. . . *shrugs* oh well. But, I did have loads of Fun writing this chap . . . *sigh* it was great. Rin is so cute. . .*huggles* So, do you guys like the way Yurai turned out??? Hope so! Oh and, So Sorry for being so incredibly late! I've been -very- busy lately. Yes. There is probably too much Yurai and not enough Fluffy in this chapter but hey, what can I say? I think I'm going to try out a mini-comic with Yurai in it. See how it turns out, maybe it'll be good. W/E. Any way! Thanks for the reviews and I am sorry again for being like 3 days late. . . *cough* I'm going to work really hard on the next chap so it gets out faster! Actually! I'll go work on it now! *grabs strawberry pocky* can't wait till MetroCon (the convention thing). Enjoy this chapter? Hope so! See you guys soon!

-Animyth out-